


Stories gone untold

by Stardustwrites17



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe- No Alchemy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, But it’s not explicit, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I did the best I could, I mean alchemist exist cause it’s the early 1800s but not the magic type, Injury Recovery, Mutual Pining, Panic Attacks, Pirate AU, Slow Burn, i don’t know if this is accurate but I tried, just a small one I swear, pirate!riza, someone please explain to me how to tag correctly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25630030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stardustwrites17/pseuds/Stardustwrites17
Summary: She reached for her own gun, but too late, as Mustang was already pointing a small handgun at her forehead.“There’s one thing you failed to understand about me, Miss Hawkeye” he said coolly as the pirate raised her hands in surrender, looking mildly annoyed. He cocked the gun.“I never give up”...“It’s was a pleasure to meet you again, Mr. Mustang”“It’s Roy” he blurted out. She seemed surprised at this“What?”“Mustang is for military personnel and strangers, and you are neither”She lifted an eyebrow, her eyes amused and teasing“Oh? What am I then?”He returned her grin.“I will give you the answer to that question when we meet again”She smiled, and Roy’s heart did a few backflips.They shook hands, and if their hands lingered a moment too long, who was there to judge?...Or, the untold story of two souls, finding each other again and again against all odds.
Relationships: Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric, Edward Elric & Roy Mustang, Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell, Maes Hughes & Roy Mustang, Rebecca Catalina & Riza Hawkeye, Riza Hawkeye & Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye & Winry Rockbell, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17
Collections: FMA Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been working on this for so long, I just don’t know anymore. So here enjoy this and comment if you like it, as it is the only thing that will fill the empty void in my soul.   
> I’m never this dramatic I swear I just haven’t had my coffee yet

**9th of November, 1802**

It was a cool morning, a fine mist hovering over the calm ocean’s surface. The only sounds that could be heard were the white noise of the small waves crashing against the hull of the ship, the steps of his tired comrades who were eager to finish their shifts and his own sighs as he blew the smoke from his cigarette. 

As a cool breeze ruffled his hair and tickled the back of his neck, he cursed the captain and his crew members for forbidding him to smoke below deck. 

The sun was peeking through the horizon, the clouds a palette of pink, white and orange. He might have enjoyed the scenario if he weren’t in such a foul mood.

Then something broke the mist, and he squinted to get a better look. 

It was something big, not a dolphin or a whale. Bigger, and it was coming right towards them. 

Second Lieutenant and Quartermaster Jean Havoc squinted, and his face went pale when he realised it was a ship; but that  wasn’t what worried him. It was the flag.

A black one, a skull with a crossbone in the middle.

Pirates.

  
  
  


Captain Roy Mustang prided himself on his crew’s reaction times, a result of many drills and misfortunes that came with exploring the sea of Amestris.

But this time they were too late. 

As his crew scrambled to reach their positions and prepare for an attack, the small, ebony black ship approached them fast, faster than Mustang expected. 

Before they could try to escape and avoid confrontation, thick ropes tied to hooks flew towards them from what seemed to be the fog itself, pinning themselves to the deck and splintering the wood, dragging his ship closer to the pirates’. His men drew their swords, but for every rope they cut, three more seemed to appear. 

Roy’s bellowed commands soon reached deaf ears as pirates infiltrated the ship and the first sounds of swords being drawn and battle cries were heard.

The battle had begun.

  
  


There were more of his men than pirates, but even then it was going poorly. Each pirate was fighting at least two of his crew members (although to be fair, half of his crew barely even knew how to properly hold a sword). 

Mustang managed to throw one of the pirates who, if he wasn’t mistaken, was a woman (he would definitely freak out later about hitting a woman) overboard and observed for a few seconds the battle that was taking place in front of him.

At least half of his men were already on the floor, injured or worse, he wasn’t sure, and the rest seemed to be getting their asses handed to them.

He saw Havoc and Boatswain Kain Fuery fighting with a woman (and now that he looked, they were all women. _What the hell?_ ) with curly brown hair held back by a red bandana, smiling as if she was just exchanging pleasantries with the men.

He saw Major Alex Armstrong fighting weaponless against a pale, blue eyed woman with long blonde hair, also weaponless. She was holding her own pretty well, which wasn’t a small feat, since her opponent was 220 pounds of pure muscle and easily two feet taller.

And then he saw her. Her long blonde hair dancing in the wind, her black captain’s hat askew and her rich brown eyes dancing with what appeared to be pure mirth, battling his First Mate Maes Hughes and his Sailing Masters Heymans Breda and Vato Falman at the same time. 

Known as the Hawk’s eye for her inhuman marksmanship, she was the dream and nightmare of every sailor.

Captain Riza Hawkeye. 

He tore his gaze away from her, realizing they were very probably doomed, to scout for more damage.

His eyes traveled to the end of the ship, where Edward Elric, at 15 years of age one of the newest additions to the crew, was holding his own against a blonde girl, younger than the rest of the pirates, but just as strong it seemed, since Ed was struggling to keep her away with his sword. Behind Ed, his younger brother Alphonse stood, trapped in the corner as his brother tried to protect him. He seemed to be talking to the girl. Foolish boy, didn’t he know there was no negotiating with pirates?

Scowling and ignoring the fear in his gut, he ran to help the two teens, but a young dark skinned girl with a mischievous smile stepped into his way. She wasn’t even carrying a sword. 

She didn’t need to. Before he could blink, the girl was behind him, her leg between his. She swiped and he went down, but before he could smash his nose on the wooden deck, he rolled and jumped to his feet. She grinned and threw herself towards him, but before she could sneak behind him again, he ducked, grabbed her shoulder, and using her own weight against her, he pushed her hard, making her stumble. Not giving her time to recover her footing, he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. With the handle of his sword, he hit her on the side of her head, and she fell unconscious on the deck.

Without looking back, he continued to fight his way towards the Elric brothers.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a useless attempt. 

He was fighting alongside Maes, who was bleeding from a cut in his eyebrow, against another pirate, this one with black locks tied back in a ponytail and wearing a white shirt that left little to the imagination, when three shots pierced the morning air.

Immediately, the pirates stopped fighting and looked towards the helm. The crew, surprised and confused, looked too.

Captain Hawkeye stood there, proud and triumphant, her crimson coat moving with the wind and her hand in the air, holding a pistol. 

“Who is the captain of this ship?” She bellowed, and something about her voice convinced Roy that even the most ferocious pirate would stop to listen and obey.

Scowling, Roy held up his hand, and Hawkeye’s reddish-brown eyes fell upon him. A smile curled her lips that made Roy’s heart do a few backflips. He convinced himself it was out of fear and anger for his crew.

“A captain who is willing to fight alongside his subordinates,” she wasn’t shouting, but her voice still rang in every corner of the ship; she placed her hands behind her back in an almost casual pose. “How refreshing” 

“Captain, I will give you two alternatives. Either you surrender and let us take over, or the fighting continues until your already injured crew lay dead at your feet.”

“And how do I know that you won’t have us killed the moment we surrender?” He asked, anger and hatred turning his guts on fire as she smirked at him, as if he were a puppy who had just done a silly trick. 

“Because I swear I will give you quarter if you do,” she answered.

“Mercy,” he heard one of his subordinates whisper. 

Mustang looked around, meeting the eyes of his crew. Most of them nodded at him. 

He threw his sword to the ground, and his crew followed. Anger flooded his veins like liquid fire, but also, if he dared admit it, shame, at being overpowered so easily, at letting his crew down...

Riza smiled at him. He just glared at her, ignoring the way he felt his neck and cheeks flush.

  
  
  
  


That afternoon Captain Roy Mustang found himself in a cell along with half of his crew.

It was a tight fit, but seeing that the other half of the crew were being held in their only other and smaller cell, he wasn’t complaining. 

He walked to the bars that connected the two cells and signaled to Hughes, his second in command, to come to meet him. 

Maes Hughes was a good man, with sharp eyes and a kind smile. They were best friends since the academy, brothers in everything but blood. Roy’s stomach shrunk as he thought about Gracia, Maes’ wife, and Alicia, their three year old daughter, waiting for Hughes to come back safe. 

“How’s the crew?” He asked, voice low so as not to be overheard. Hughes leaned against the bars, his hands in his pockets and his eyes following the pirate who was in guard duty for now. Roy could hear Havoc trying to establish conversation with her. 

“Aside from their wounded pride? Fine. The most serious injury is a stab wound in Falman’s leg, but even that won’t take too long to heal. Mostly they’re just pissed at being so easily overpowered by a bunch of girls”

Roy smiled faintly. 

“Same here” he gestured to the cut above Hughes’ eyebrow “you alright?”

Hughes’ hand automatically went to touch the wound. 

“Fine. It stopped bleeding a while ago. How are you holding up? The bosses aren’t going to be happy about this.” 

“I’ll figure something out,” Roy assured him. Hughes didn’t look convinced, “I’ve gotten out of deeper holes.” 

“Okay, let’s say you get out of this one unscathed. What about the rest of the crew? I don’t think the bosses will be satisfied with your subordinates being overpowered so easily”

“I won’t let them take the blunt for this” Roy said firmly, and Hughes smiled when he saw the fire in Roy’s eyes. “It’s not their fault.”

Hughes shook his head “one of these days that loyal heart of yours is going to get you in trouble”

Roy waved him off.

“Anyway, there’s something valuable to us that those pirates didn’t take,” Hughes said, reaching into his long black coat. Roy’s instantly perked up.

“PHOTOS OF MY LITTLE GIRL ALICIA!” Poor Falman, who was dozing next to Hughes, yelped and jumped to his feet, looking around wildly. When he saw Hughes, he sighed, slid to the floor and closed his eyes. 

Roy wasn’t sure if he should be annoyed or amused. Annoyance won. With a groan, he backed away, suddenly glad he wasn’t in the same cell as his best friend. 

  
  
  


He stopped to talk to all of his subordinates, mentally taking stock of their injuries and trying to get as much information about the girls he could. They all said the same thing: the pirates were fast, strong and very skilled. Just as Hughes had said, everyone was bitter and embarrassed about the battle, so no one talked much. 

There was only one man who didn’t seem concerned about their current situation. 

Second Lieutenant Havoc seemed delighted to have the girls on the ship. He tried to strike up a conversation with every single pirate that came to guard their cells. A few of them ignored him, some threatened to hurt him (which only seemed to spur him on, much to their annoyance) and actually asked to be revealed from duty, and only a few answered his calls, smiling at him as if he were a kitten trying to look like a lion. 

“Have some dignity, Havoc,” Roy said, rolling his eyes as yet another pirate begged their comrade to take her place. 

Havoc only looked back and gave a playful pout. 

“But I’m having so much fun,” he whined. “When was the last time we saw a woman? Especially ones with such nice-“ he didn’t get to finish the sentence, as one of the pirates, the young blonde one Ed had been fighting came up to him and punched him in the nose. It wasn’t enough to make him bleed, but enough to make his eyes water and his hand to come up and cover it instinctively. Roy only rolled his eyes harder at the moans from his subordinate, but his eyes widened when he saw the girl look behind him, guilt in her eyes. Roy looked back and saw Ed staring at her, expression hard and unforgiving. He looked back at the girl, but she had already schooled her expression into a neutral one. She turned and walked away. 

Roy turned back again and raised an eyebrow at Ed. The young man ignored him, choosing to fuss over Al, who was fast asleep and using his brother’s lap as a pillow. 

Well, that was interesting…

His attention was diverted when Havoc groaned from where he sat, his hands still clutching his nose

“Captain” he moaned “I think she ruined it” he said, sounding tearful 

“What? Your dignity? Because that was all you, Havoc” his voice dripping with sarcasm, but he crouched down nonetheless to examine the supposedly broken nose. The moment he was within reach, Havoc grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer 

“27 pirates. All women, all heavily armed. They had a small meeting without the captain and for now, only two of them seemed to want to kill us” he paused, mulling something over “except for me. I’m pretty sure most of them wanna kill me by now. But aside from that, there’s a pretty big chance of us getting out of this one with only our pride damaged” 

Roy looked shocked for a moment, before he smiled at his subordinate 

“Nice job, Havoc” 

Jean Havoc didn’t stand out, which made people underestimate him constantly. Hell, sometimes even Roy forgot just what he brought to the table. He wasn’t third in command for nothing. 

Havoc grinned and winked at him before releasing him. As Roy got up, Havoc brought a cigarette out from his jacket. He smiled innocently at the captain and held it out

“Just one? As a congrats on the well done job?” Roy grinned and waved airily 

“Fine. Have your little cancer stick” 

“Thanks, cap.”

Havoc wasted no time in lighting it up, and a few of the men groaned 

“Ah ah ah,” Havoc called gleefully “the boss let me have one.” 

A few men glared at Roy, but he just shrugged and patted Havoc’s shoulder, continuing his way. 

He wanted to have a little talk with Edward.

  
  


The teenager was sulking, his arms crossed and his shoulders hunched, sending the clear message that he didn’t want to be disturbed. Roy couldn’t care less. 

He sat next to him, leaning against the wall. He let himself have a moment of quiet and rested his head against the wood. With a small sigh, he turned his head in Ed’s direction. The blond boy only gave a huff and looked away. 

“Are you and your brother alright?” 

His voice was low, soft as not to disturb the sleeping fourteen year old. 

Alphonse Elric was a fragile boy, something he would never admit to. Nevertheless, he slept every moment he could, trying to conserve as much energy as he was able to so that he could be useful when he awoke. Roy had told him a million times that he didn’t mind if he had to rest longer than the rest of the crew, but the boy refused to do less, which constantly led to him overworking himself.

The moment his brother was mentioned, Ed’s eyes softened, and he absentmindedly ran his fingers through Al’s soft cropped hair. Al shifted but didn’t wake. 

“We’re fine, just a few scrapes and bruises.” 

Roy nodded and stayed silent.

After a few minutes, Edward huffed and turned to look at him with mild annoyance 

“Fine, I’ll talk. Just- stop looking at me like that."

Roy mentally patted himself on the back. A few months ago, he would’ve just pestered Ed until he talked, which would only end up with a furious Ed, a ticked off Roy and him having to pull rank. 

He didn’t mind reminding his men of his status sometimes, but he usually preferred to have them come to him when the need arose, to get them to trust him. 

“That girl, that  _ pirate _ ,” Ed bit out “her name is Winry. She’s a friend of ours, or at least, she  _ was _ ”

Roy’s eyes widened 

“Winry Rockbell? That girl you and Alphonse knew from your hometown?”

To say the Elrics knew Winry Rockbell was an understatement. From what Roy understood, the boys had grown up with her, and her grandmother had raised them after their mother’s premature death. 

Hell, if Alphonse’s teasing was true, Ed had developed a major crush on the girl. 

“The same one,” Ed didn’t look at him, choosing to stare at the floorboards, but not really seeing them. 

Roy knew that look. It was the same look Hughes got when he stayed too long away from home, the same look Havoc got when he saw his comrades greet their sweethearts after months of being at sea. 

It was longing. 

The story of the Elric brothers wasn’t a happy one. 

Their father had left when they were toddlers. “Good riddance,” Ed had said with a forced smile when Breda had asked. Al had stayed silent, and hadn’t said much for the rest of the night. 

The two kids were geniuses, and had a talent for alchemy few human beings had. They were hoping to enlist in the best chemistry school in Amestris. They certainly had the talent, but lacked the money. 

When they were seven and eight, their mother had gotten ill, and it wasn’t long before she died. After that, they had been raised by Pinako Rockbell, a family friend and their best childhood friend’s grandmother. 

At twelve years of age, Ed had grown tired of sitting around and had left to make his life and his brother’s a better one. Al, of course, had tagged along, and a few weeks after arriving at central they had met Mustang, who had spotted their talent right away, having studied alchemy himself. He had offered them jobs in the military, and the rest was history. 

So here they were, working for Mustang in hopes of getting enough money for their education. 

“What is she doing here? I thought she had stayed home with her grandmother”

“So did I.” 

Ed’s jaw was clenched, his eyes narrowed.  _ Here it comes,  _ Roy thought 

“Why did she leave?” He blurted out, “how could she just leave granny like that?”

Roy shrugged 

“Why don’t you ask her?”

Ed scratched the neck of his head, looking embarrassed.

“I didn’t handle seeing her that well” he recognized, “but can you blame me? She wanted to be a engineer last time I saw her! What the hell is she doing in a pirate ship?”

Alphonse shifted and hummed, and immediately, Ed’s eyes softened once more, and ran his fingers through his hair. Al let out a sigh and continued sleeping.

“I don’t know, Ed” Roy scratched the back of his head and sighed, “but from what I gather, you and your brother care a lot about Winry, and I know you’ll regret it if you don’t try to talk to her. Maybe she had a good reason” 

Ed grunted but didn’t respond, so Roy didn’t say anything else.

A few minutes passed, and Roy could see Ed’s eyes getting heavier and heavier. 

“Get some sleep, Ed” Roy stood up and racked his knuckles on Ed’s head. The boy tried to swat his hand away, but nodded all the same. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night had finally fallen, and everything was dark and silent, the only sounds being his crew’s sighs as they slept, along with the occasional snore or murmur. 

Roy stood awake, watching over his subordinates and trying to memorize the rotating shift of the guards. But Captain Hawkeye was smart, and the guards kept changing at random. 

With a long sigh, he rubbed his temples, where a headache had started to pound a little over an hour ago. 

He looked around at his sleeping crew. 

Next to him, Breda was sleeping upright against a wall, Fuery, one of his youngest subordinates, leaning against him. 

The crew was divided into pairs and trios, leaning against each other and using their coats to cover them as much as possible. 

The temperature had dropped as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, and they hadn’t dared to ask the pirates for blankets. 

His eyes stopped at the Elric brothers, who lay on the floor, pressed against each other. Ed has given Al his signature red coat, but Al had protested, so they’d ended up sharing it until Al had fallen asleep. The moment Al had succumbed to his tiredness, Ed had covered him completely with his coat, leaving himself in just his black shirt and pants. 

Now he slept, shivering and curled up to conserve as much heat as possible.

Roy walked over, taking off his coat in the process, and draped it over the small teen like it was a blanket.

Ed mumbled something and clutched at the coat, which was still warm from his own heat, burying into it until he finally stopped shivering. 

Roy tucked the coat in to prevent Ed from accidentally kicking it off. He looked next at Al and tucked him in too for good measure. 

He thought he saw someone behind him, so he turned around, but the only thing he saw was a ponytail of dark hair that disappeared around the corner.

He sat down next to the boys, leaning against the cold wood, and shivered when the cold started to sip in. Soon he was hugging himself in a futile attempt to stay warm, as the only thing protecting his back from the damp surface of the ship was a thin vest and his white shirt. 

An hour went by, and even though his eyes dropped every few seconds, he refused to give in into the welcoming darkness.

Then, his eyes closed without his permission, and he startled awake when he heard the door lock clang.

He jumped to his feet, suddenly awake and alert, and his vision swam for a moment before it focused on the girl approaching him. 

She was pretty, with dark round eyes and curly hazelnut hair tied back with a bandana. The crimson waistcoat that covered part of her white shirt was adorned with what looked like tiny golden coins, which jingled softly as she walked, muffled slightly by her long black coat. 

“The captain wants to see you, Mustang” she smiled drily at him, a hand on her hip, right next to her gun.

Roy looked at her wearily, not moving, but when she just kept staring. He suppressed another shiver. 

“Where are you taking our captain?” 

Breda sounded pissed.

The pirate twitched, startled, and looked behind her. Fuery and Breda stood in front of the door, furious and protective. Roy’s heart swelled with pride and affection for his subordinates, and a fire rose up in his chest, a determination to keep his crew safe no matter the cost.

“That’s sweet of you boys, but the captain wants to see him to discuss the terms of your capture”

Breda and Fuery looked at Roy, and he knew he could make them fight the woman with just a tilt of his head. But he looked down, and saw her thumb run over the holster of her gun, ready if she needed it. 

“Stand down” Roy told them “it’s not worth it” 

The two men looked at each other before they stepped aside. 

The woman left the cell, but before Roy left too he turned back to his two men.

“If you get bored, tell Hughes to show you the pictures” 

With that, he left without looking back, trying to ignore the way his heart was attempting to crawl up his throat.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We had a deal!” He didn’t care he sounded desperate, all he could see in his mind’s eye was Gracia and Elicia Hughes, waiting for Maes, or Havoc’s siblings and nephews going to church to pray for Jean’s wellbeing. His own sisters flashed through his mind, Vanessa’s radiant smile, or Lilly’s kind eyes. 
> 
> He hadn’t realized he had stood up until the cock of a gun resonated in the room. 
> 
> Hawkeye’s pistol was barely a foot away from his face.
> 
> “You've heard of me before, Mustang, you know my reputation with guns. I never miss. And even if I wasn’t any good, I would have to be blind to miss from here. Sit down”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, this is were shit gets interesting.

**10th of November, 1802**

Roy found himself staring at Riza Hawkeye, who looked like the living representation of happiness. She was sitting in his chair, her black leather boots resting on his table. Her hair was down, golden strands framing her face, and her captain’s hat lay discarded on a spare chair. 

With a quick stare around the room, Roy found that anything worth a dime had been taken from the many shelves and cupboards that littered the room, along with the maps that used to hang from the walls. 

“Thank you, Rebecca” Riza said, standing up, “you may leave now”

Rebecca smirked at Roy one last time and then left, the golden coins in her waistcoat jingling and her boots clicking with her every step. 

“Captain Mustang, is it? Please take a seat” Hawkeye said pleasantly, as if this was a friendly meeting and not a bargain for his crew’s lives.

Roy sat in the one chair, and found that even the golden buttons sewn to the chair had been ripped off. At his expression, Hawkeye, who had stood up and was pacing around the room slowly, said

“I do apologize for the state of the room. Panyna -you remember her, that young lady you knocked out- she has quick fingers and I’m afraid she doesn’t like you very much. She gave the room a quick swipe before I could stop her”

“And you wouldn’t have, if you’d had the chance” it wasn’t an accusation, just a fact. She tilted her head (the butterflies in his stomach were from nervousness. Just nervousness) and seemed to consider it.

“No. I suppose I wouldn’t have. You did hit her very hard, you know” 

“She attacked me!”

“You’re not here to discuss who’s the guilty one here, you’re here because I promised you and your crew mercy. You must be asking yourself just why one of the most feared pirates in Amestris has decided to give you quarter”

He  _ had _ asked himself that, so he nodded. Hawkeye was known for her unpredictableness, for letting entire crews go as well as setting entire ships on fire. One thing was constant though.

No captain had ever survived an encounter with her.

She sat down in her (his) chair and leaned back, making herself comfortable.

“Mr. Mustang, there are three reasons why I chose to let you live. Understand that this judgement is based in only today’s events, so I’m not completely sure if they are correct. Please do not be cocky, as it may cost you your life”

Roy frowned, confused, but nodded all the same.

“The first reason is because, contrary to popular belief, I do not enjoy killing and try to do it only when I see it necessary” 

Roy was… mildly surprised by this statement. The few pirates he had encountered during his voyages always went for the kill, and he  _ had _ wondered why Hawkeye had stabbed Falman in the leg instead of somewhere truly lethal. 

“The second reason is because you are not a coward,” his eyes, which had been fixed on the desk until that moment, shot up, “You fought alongside your men. Don’t try to argue any captain would do the same; I’ve encountered a lot of captains who sat cowering in their studies. You also ran to aid your youngest subordinate and his brother, that shows loyalty. You, Captain Mustang, are not an arrogant man.” 

At his flattered smile, she rolled her eyes 

“Well, you’re less arrogant than most men I’ve met.”

She smirked when the smile slipped from his face.

“The third reason is that you care about your crew, more than any other captain I’ve ever encountered. My girls told me about how you spoke to all of your subordinates to ensure their wellbeing, and Catalina told me about you giving that boy your jacket, even though it meant you suffering. You even asked for their opinion about surrendering. You surprise me, Mustang,”

He could feel his ears reddening at being caught in that brief moment of softness, but he ignored it, looking suddenly very interested in the table’s surface. 

“Although I do enjoy the flattery, I want to know how exactly my crew and I are going to return home.”

Hawkeye smirked. “Oh? I never said I would have mercy on  _ all _ of your crew”

Roy’s stomach clenched, and his lips curled into a snarl as he looked up into merciless brown eyes. The fire in his chest rose once again.

“You wouldn’t.” 

Hawkeye ignored him. 

“I will allow half of your crew leave on my own ship, as we are taking this one. The other half” she smiled, a cruel glint in her eyes “I’ll let my crew decide their fate. Some of them look quite strong, they’ll do well as our slaves.” 

“We had a deal!” He didn’t care he sounded desperate, all he could see in his mind’s eye was Gracia and Elicia Hughes, waiting for Maes, or Havoc’s siblings and nephews going to church to pray for Jean’s wellbeing. His own sisters flashed through his mind, Vanessa’s radiant smile, or Lilly’s kind eyes. 

He hadn’t realized he had stood up until the cock of a gun resonated in the room. 

Hawkeye’s pistol was barely a foot away from his face.

“You've heard of me before, Mustang, you know my reputation with guns. I never miss. And even if I wasn’t any good, I would have to be blind to miss from here. _ Sit down _ ”

Roy looked into her ice cold eyes, hard as the earth they so resembled, and after a moment sat, his jaw clenched, unable to speak as what felt like pure fire run through his veins, leaving him short of breath. She lowered her gun and sat down too.

“Thank you. Now, which half of the crew will be leaving with you?”

Now, that surprised him. 

“I’m sorry?”

“I’ve already told you Mustang, I respect you, and I do not wish to kill you. Answer my question”

He narrowed his eyes 

“I won’t leave without my crew. I will not leave anyone behind.”

She raised an eyebrow at him and leaned forward, resting her chin in her palm

“Oh? Would you like to stay here then?” She smiled sweetly and purred, “I wouldn’t mind a personal slave.” 

He wanted to squirm under her gaze, feeling like a rabbit under a hawk’s watch, but he stayed still, his back straight and his eyes firmly locked in hers.

“No, but I won’t let anyone under my command die.”

“So what? Are you volunteering to stay behind in return of letting your crew free?”

“I’m not that arrogant. My life isn’t worth half of my men, I’m just a man like the rest of them.”

There was pregnant pause, and then Hawkeye leaned back again, a triumphant and satisfied smile gracing her lips.

“ _ That _ is what I wanted to hear. Congratulations Mr. Mustang, you passed the test. You  _ are _ the kind of man I thought you were.”

The anger seemed to evaporate from Roy, leaving just confusion “What?”

“This was a test to see if you were worthy of my mercy, and you should be proud to hear that you passed with flying colors”

Understanding came to him as if someone had finally lit a candle in a dark room. His whole body felt shaky with relief, his heart finally stopped trying to break out of his chest. 

Now that he was calm again, he noticed the small vibrations underneath his feet, as if… he allowed himself to smile weakly.

“So you’ll let us leave?”

“In my ship. I am in dire need of a new one and I happen to like this one very much” 

Suddenly, there was a crash from outside, footsteps, a war cry, and the clashing of swords. 

Riza stood up, too distracted by the noise from behind the door to notice Mustang opening a secret drawer in the side of the table. She finally looked at him and panic ran through her face for one satisfying moment before her expression hardened. 

She reached for her own gun, but too late, as Mustang was already pointing a small handgun at her forehead. 

“There’s one thing you failed to understand about me, Miss Hawkeye” he said coolly as the pirate raised her hands in surrender, looking mildly annoyed. He cocked the gun.

“I never give up”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The battle between the two crews didn’t last very long, ten minutes at most, and both of them stayed silent for all of it, trying to discern by the sounds which side was winning. Roy had a satisfied smirk on his face, and by the look on Riza’s, she wanted nothing more than to slap it away. The sounds finally quieted down, and Roy allowed himself to feel a trickle of fear and doubt. What if his crew hadn’t managed to overpower the pirates?

“How?” She finally asked

“It wasn’t incredibly hard,” Mustang made himself sound lazy, even a bit bored, “I just had to wait for my crew to grow bored”

Just then, as if on cue, the door opened and Havoc walked in, dragging Rebecca with him, who had her hands tied behind her back. Roy’s chest swelled with pride once more.

“Almost every pirate is secure, sir.” Roy lifted an eyebrow, his good mood faltering for a second.

“Almost?” 

Havoc seemed to hesitate, and when he spoke again his voice carried concern.

“We can’t find Miss Rockbell,” he swallowed, “or Ed and Alphonse for that matter.”

The two captains looked at each other, and their worry for their youngest was mirrored in each other’s expression. 

“Havoc, tie Miss Hawkeye please” 

Havoc did as he was told, tying the pirate’s hands in front of her and removing every weapon he could find. 

“Have you searched in the water? They might have fallen” Roy left the room, Havoc and the two prisoners behind him 

“We thought about it, but we can’t spot them” 

“Winry knew those two boys, she told me once you were captured” Riza piped in. Roy turned around, surprised. At his expression, Riza scowled 

“Don’t look at me like that, I care about my crew as much as you care about yours” she turned to Havoc, “take Rebecca and look in my ship. Those three had unfinished business and might had snuck away to talk”

Havoc looked at Roy, and his captain nodded. Rebecca and Havoc left. 

Roy looked at Hawkeye, whose eyes followed Rebecca until she disappeared from view. 

Without a word Mustang grabbed the rope Havoc had dropped and continued his way towards the cells, pulling Hawkeye along. 

The rest of the pirates were already there, divided in two as his crew had been not long ago. 

There were a few exclamations of joy and relief when Hawkeye appeared. 

“Has anyone seen Winry?” 

The girls shook their head, except for Panyna who said 

“I saw her and the two boys run when the fight started. I think they went below deck” 

Roy turned to Falman and Armstrong 

“Stay here with the prisoners, if anyone comes, tell them to go round up the rest of the crew”

The two men nodded, and Roy left to search for the three kids. 

———————————————————————————————————

It wasn’t hard. 

He just had to follow the noise of voices bellowing, mostly Winry’s and Ed’s.

He walked towards the storage room, where he knew Ed and Al kept all of their alchemy books. 

When he opened the door, he saw something flying towards him and he ducked. He looked at the metallic object that had fallen to the floor after denting the wall were his head had been a second ago. 

A wrench?

He glared at Winry and she glowered at him.

“Leave, Captain Mustang. This is none of your business”

“Miss Rockbell, we have taken over the ship, your captain is in a cell along with the rest of your comrades. I’m here to take you to them, and I would appreciate not having to use force” his eyes softened. He couldn’t help it, he didn’t see a pirate, he saw a scared child, “your comrades and captain are worried about you” 

“She’ll be up in a second” Ed growled, “I just want to know why she’s here”

“I told you, Ed, I didn’t have a choice”

“You always have a choice!” he bellowed. Roy didn't miss how Al flinched at the loud voice 

“What about granny?! Did you abandon her? She must be worried sick!” 

Edward was never one to hide his emotions, he was a ticking time bomb, and once more he had burst, betrayal and hurt showing on every inch of his body.

“Edward” Winry sounded tired, and sad, “Granny’s dead”

The silence that filled the room was heavy, filled with grief and shock. Roy didn’t dare move from his position by the door.

“You’re lying” Ed said calmly

“Winry…” Al’s voice was small, he looked younger than he was, hunched over as he was, as if he had been punched in the gut.

“I’m not lying. She died two months after you boys left” her head was hung in defeat, “I didn’t know what to do. I went to search for you in Central, but I couldn’t find you. Captain Hawkeye found me, said she needed an engineer. What was I supposed to do?”

“I don’t believe you” Ed took a step back, “Granny’s strong, she wouldn’t-“ but then reality seemed to hit him at that moment, and his voice faltered. Al sniffed, and Roy saw his eyes filling with tears. 

“Ed… Al…” Winry sounded desperate, heartbroken, and Roy finally understood that she needed them as much as they needed her.

Ed flinched when Winry touched his shoulder, and she snatched her hand away like he was made of fire.

With his head low, Ed ran out of the room, a raging fire in his golden eyes, and Roy thought he heard a dry sob before his footsteps faded. 

“Al?” Winry’s voice was high pitched, tears were streaming down her cheeks. 

Alphonse looked at the door, and then at Winry, uncertain and hurt. 

“I don’t blame you for Granny, Winry, and I know Ed doesn’t either. But choosing to be a pirate?” He shook his head, “I just wish you’d found us in Central”

“I do too” she whispered. 

Alphonse grabbed her hand and walked with her to the door. As they passed, Roy found that not a single tear had left the child’s golden eyes. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alphonse led Winry to the cells, like a kid leading their friend to jail after a game of tag, and Winry entered it without complaints. Roy watched as Panyna hugged Winry from behind, and Winry’s weak smile as she patted her friend’s hand as a thank you. 

He watched as Riza walked to the girl, lay a hand on her shoulder and said something in a murmur. She wiped the remaining tears away, and when Winry hung her head, she lifted it back up with a gentle hand. 

She talked to her for a minute, before Winry nodded, straightened up and smiled at her, albeit weakly. 

Roy left without a word with an ache in his chest he couldn’t explain.

  
  


He found Alphonse sitting with Fuery, his head buried in his knees, which were tucked into his chest. Fuery had a hand around the trembling boy and was speaking softly to him, his eyes kind and gentle behind his glasses. Fuery was a kind soul, loyal to a fault, and sharp as a whip behind those child-like face. 

Roy caught his eye and sent him a silent question. Fuery signaled up. Roy looked up and saw Ed and Maes sitting on the foremast, Maes arm around his shoulders, neither speaking. He remembered asking Al why his brother enjoyed the foremast so much. 

_ He likes to be tall,  _ Al had told him, smirking.

“Captain?” 

Roy looked down, and found Alphonse staring at him. His eyes seemed to be amplified by the tears.

“You’ll let the pirates go, right? They had mercy with us, and there wasn’t really any harm done”

_ You haven’t seen my study, kid. _

But the truth was that he  _ had  _ been planning to let them go. If back at central someone asked, he’d say the pirates had evaded capture. 

He nodded, and Alphonse sighed in relief and leaned against Fuery once more. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What do you want?” When the sun had set, Hawkeye glared at Mustang.

Roy said nothing, but took out a key and unlocked the door. All eyes were on him as he walked to the other cell and unlocked it too. 

“You’re free to go” he simply said, looking at Hawkeye. She just stared at him. He could tell he had surprised her.

“You had mercy on us, I’m just returning the favor” even though he didn’t feel like it, he smiled teasingly at her, “I wouldn’t want to be in debt with a pirate”

The pirates looked at their Captain, and only moved forward when Hawkeye stepped out of the cell. 

  
  


Riza walked alongside Roy with the rest of the pirates trailing behind them as they walked to the edge of the ship

“We'll be keeping your weapons” Roy said. Riza only nodded, even as a few pirates cursed.

“Best of luck, Captain Hawkeye” 

Roy extended his hand, and Riza seemed surprised by the gesture. After a moment, she took it. Her grip was strong. 

Roy wasn’t quite sure why exactly he was doing this, and judging by Hawkeye’s expression, neither did she. 

Something in him had died after watching the Elric brothers talk to Winry, pride and honor didn’t seem that important after that encounter. They all had lives, pasts and mistakes they regretted and wished to forget. Afterall, he wasn’t any different. It seemed wrong to judge these woman without knowing their side. 

So he let them go.

“To you as well, Captain Mustang”

He locked eyes with Hawkeye, and understandment seemed to travel through them.

The girls jumped to their ship one by one, Winry being one of the last. She looked back at the foremast, and found Edward looking at her, his expression unreadable. Their eyes met, and after a moment Ed turned away, but not before he waved at her. Winry smiled, relieved. 

They would see each other again. 

Hawkeye was the last to cross. She hesitated and looked back at Mustang.

“How  _ did  _ your crew escape?” 

Mustang smiled 

“That story is for the next time we cross paths”

She raised an eyebrow 

“You think we’ll see each other again?” 

“I’m sure of it” 

She looked at him for a moment, before something inexplicable happened.

She smiled at him. A real, full smile; not a smirk, not a smug grin, just, a genuine upturning of the lips.

She looked beautiful, and once again Roy ignored the way his heart seemed to beat faster and the warmth that expanded in his chest. 

“Well then, Mr. Mustang” she tipped her hat in farewell “until next time” 

And then she was gone.

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, gazing at the horizon as the black ship sailed away. 

It was almost sunrise when he realized his entire body felt sore and his eyes stung from sleep deprivation. 

It was a bit longer before Hughes came to collect him, passing an arm around his shoulder and leading him to his cabin. 

He was asleep in a matter of minutes.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This Elizabeth girl had a gun!” Roy turned to look at Riza. She grabbed his forearms to make him look at her. It worked. He had forgotten how beautiful she was.
> 
> “I’m sorry Mr. mustang, but my sister and I were walking through a dangerous part of town so my eldest brother gave us the gun just in case. I swear I’ve never shot anyone! I have terrible aim” the last part was said in an embarrassed whisper and Roy had to refrain himself from laughing.

It was six months until he saw Hawkeye again. 

When he and his crew went back to central, the higher ups weren’t too happy about their little meeting with the pirates, just as Hughes had predicted. But just as  _ Roy  _ had predicted, he sweet talked himself out of it, and managed to get funds to refurbish his study. Breda shook his head when he heard it 

“I can’t believe you made a profit out of this mess” 

Roy had just grinned. 

During the next six months, he only heard rumors about Hawkeye. Apparently she had taken over Captain Yoki’s ship, which was carrying 100 slaves, had almost killed Yoki and left him in a coma, and let the slaves free. 

There were also rumors about where she was, or were she was heading, but they were just that, rumors.

**19th of May, 1803**

One morning, he was called to General Grumman’s office, and as he left his own office, Falman, Havoc and Fuery looked at him curiously, and maybe a bit nervously, because being called to Grumman’s office meant a new mission.

Ignoring the knot in his gut, he knocked on the old general’s door. A voice from inside told him to come in. 

“Thank you for meeting with me Mustang” Grumman said pleasantly. 

Roy saluted, and only sat when Grumman told him to do so. 

“Captain, you’re here because we have some good news” 

It didn’t look like good news. He looked like he was trying to swallow an entire lemon. 

“They have captured who we think might be Captain Hawkeye and a few of her crew”

Roy had to refrain himself from jumping to his feet, instead, he merely raised his eyebrows 

“That’s… certainly good news”

Grumman still didn’t look entirely happy 

“Yes, the thing is, we’re not entirely sure if it  _ is  _ her, so we need you to be our witness, as you are one of the only two people who have survived an encounter with her. The other one is… unavailable”

Roy’s mind was going at a thousand per hour, but he wore an easy smile as he said.

“Of course sir, just tell me the time and the place”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I told you that stupid noble heart would get you into trouble” Hughes sounded smug as he lifted the glass to his lips.

Roy sighed and downed his whiskey glass in one go. 

“What am I going to do?”

“You know what they’ll do to you if you lie and they find out”

Roy nodded, staring at the bottom of his empty glass as if it held all the answers.

Maes sighed and looked at his friend 

“Is she really worth risking your career like that?”

“I don’t know” he ran a hand through his face “I don’t think she’s a bad person, Hughes, and I respect her as a Captain, but she’s still a pirate” 

Hughes hummed 

“And It doesn’t hurt that you have a huge crush on her”

He rolled his eyes, wondering why this idiot was his best friend.

“Please, Hughes, crushes are for children”

Maes grinned “alright then, you’re in love with her”

Roy scoffed, not bothering to answer. Hughes shoved him, laughing 

“You don’t even deny it!”

“You’re being ridiculous, Maes”

“Whatever you say, lover boy” Maes got up and paid for his drink. Roy lifted and eyebrow 

“You’re leaving already?”

“Yeah, I promised Elicia I’d be there to tuck her in” he grinned at his friend “you should come over soon, the other day she asked for her uncle Roy”

“The day after tomorrow good for you?”

Maes gave him a thumbs up, patted his shoulder and left.

Roy sighed and asked for another drink.

It was going to be a long night. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, at exactly 11.00, he found himself entering the city’s police department, his heart beating fast. 

They showed him to a room where six women stood, their hands tied in front of them and their backs pressed to the wall. Two of them, who Roy had never seen in his life, were trembling from head to foot, and the other two strangers were crying, letting out whimpers every now and then.

He did recognize the last two though.

Winry looked scared. She was wearing a modest, light green dress, like the ones women from the docks wore. Her shoulder was pressed against the last woman, who was murmuring things under her breath.

He almost didn’t recognize her. 

She had cut her hair short, and her outfit was like Winry’s, a modest, pale blue dress. But even though she looked thinner, paler, and somehow smaller against the blank grey wall, the fire in her eyes was unmistakable. 

Riza Hawkeye.

Their eyes met, and something changed in her expression. It was softer, more scared, and he wondered if it was on purpose, to look the part of innocent young woman or to make him pity her.

“Well?” A voice interrupted his musings, “are any of these women Riza Hawkeye or any of her crew?” Inspector Jackman sounded impatient, annoyed.

Roy didn’t break I contact with Riza as he said 

“no. It’s not them” 

There was a moment of silence.

“WHAT” 

The inspector looked livid, and grabbed the first woman he could reach, who happened to be Riza, by the arm roughly. She gasped in pain and surprise (or maybe it was an act, who knew) as she was dragged right in front of Roy and made to kneel by the inspector, who grabbed her short hair to keep her in place and made her look up.

“Look closely, Captain” 

Something in Roy snapped. He turned to the inspector, and something in his glare must have scared him, because he let her go and took a step back.

“You will never disrespect another woman like that in front of me ever again, do you understand?” He growled. 

The inspector, looking pale and speechless, nodded. Roy kneeled gently in front of Riza and grabbed her hand, helping her up

“Are you alright, Miss?”

She looked at him, surprised “I- Yes, I’m fine. Thank you, Mr….”

“Mustang” he gave her a small private smile, which she returned. Roy’s heart seemed to soar. 

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Elizabeth, and that’s my little sister Sarah” she said, pointing to Winry, who hadn’t dropped the ‘scared innocent girl’ act.

Roy looked at the two policemen by the door, who were staring at him, a little scared.

“Please arrange carriages to take these ladies to wherever they wish to go”

He turned to the five women, who were looking at him in shock.

“Ladies, I apologize for the inconvenience, but we are searching for a dangerous criminal and we thought you might be who we’re looking for”

“Just wait a minute” inspector Jackman seemed to have regained his courage, “these women were found making a deal with some dangerous criminals”

Roy raised an eyebrow 

“You found them with said criminals?”

“Well, no- but they were waiting for them”

“And how do you know that?”

“This Elizabeth girl had a gun!” Roy turned to look at Riza. She grabbed his forearms to make him look at her. It worked. He had forgotten how beautiful she was.

“I’m sorry Mr. mustang, but my sister and I were walking through a dangerous part of town so my eldest brother gave us the gun just in case. I swear I’ve never shot anyone! I have terrible aim” the last part was said in an embarrassed whisper and Roy had to refrain himself from laughing. 

“There you have it, inspector” Roy said. The inspector looked livid, but, remembering Roy’s reputation and his superior rank he stayed silent, the only sign of his anger the flush high in his cheeks. 

“Very well” he huffed “untie these... women” 

It was clear he meant to say something stronger (and possibly more offensive) but held his tongue.

Winry immediately hugged Riza, looked up and smiled at Roy 

“Thank you” she breathed, and Roy suspected she wasn’t playing the part when she’d said it.

“You’re welcome, miss. Allow me to accompany you ladies home” 

Gracefully, Riza hooked an arm around his, and Winry grabbed his other one, and arm in arm, they left the police department. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What I want to know” Roy said as they walked through the docks, “Is how the hell did you get caught”

“We were set up” Riza growled, squeezing his arm for a second, “we made a deal with a few shady guys to get ammunition. When I find them…” she suddenly fell silent and looked at Roy, as if she’d just realized he was here.

“Mustang, you lied”

“You’ve noticed” he said dryly 

“You shouldn’t have” She said fiercely. Roy ignored her and turned to Winry 

“Ed and Al are currently staying with me in a little flat, just around the corner. I imagine they would be overjoyed to see you”

Her cheeks colored but she nodded, and after memorizing the address and thanking Roy once again, she was gone. 

Roy and Riza looked at each other.

Roy smiled at her 

“I know a good place to chat”

Her grip on his arm tightened.

“Lead the way”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Mustang?”

Roy hummed in question, his beer raised to his lips 

“Why did you save me?” 

Roy sighed and left the drink on the table

“I don’t know” he confessed “because I don’t think you’re a bad person? Because you have a crew who needs you?” 

_ Because I think Maes might be right? _

“You’re risking everything for a woman who you’ve met twice” Riza insisted “a woman who very recently killed one of your colleagues”

“Captain Yoki is not dead, unfortunately”

“He’s not?”

“He survived, but he’s in a coma, unlikely to ever wake up”

Riza winced “oh”

“And I don’t care really, Yoki is a power-hungry weasel. I’m glad you released those slaves. Next question?”

Riza hesitated for a moment before she asked,

“Why do you stay in the military?”

“Well, you see, there’s a thing called a job, and most people need one to eat” she rolled her eyes. Roy realized there was something deeply satisfying in exasperating her.

“But you don’t like it”

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just-”

“You’re not sorry when I attempt to kill your colleagues” she cut him off

“I don’t like slavery. It feels like trying to play god” 

Riza simply stared at him, waiting. Roy sighed again,

“I don’t agree with some things about the military, but I don’t mind my job, and there are people here who I have to sustain”

“Family?”

“ROY!” Riza jumped, her hand flew to her hip where her gun usually was, but there was no danger. 

A woman, younger than her and Roy, blonde with a bright smile, jumped into Roy’s arms. He huffed but caught her, laughing 

“Hello, Vanessa” 

“You haven’t visited in forever! Hold on, I’ll go get the rest of the girls. They’ll be so happy!” 

Planting a kiss on his cheek, she jumped up and left as quick as she had appeared.

“Friend of yours?” Riza asked. Roy shook his head smirking. 

“Sister, actually. I have six” 

She raised an eyebrow, impressed 

“Big family” 

“And hard to sustain” he said, continuing their conversation as if nothing had happened, “of course, with our mother’s business they get by just fine, but still…”

“I get it” she nodded, and Roy leaned back and smiled at her.

“What?” He could tell she didn’t like the look he was giving her.

“Your face when Vanessa appeared was priceless” he confessed, chuckling a bit. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”

Was she… blushing?

Before he could respond, Vanessa appeared, running behind her were five other girls, the oldest about the same age as Vanessa (couldn’t be more than 25) and the youngest about 17. 

They all hugged Roy with the same enthusiasm as Vanessa, and even greeted Riza warmly, which seemed to surprise her.

“So, Roy” Lucy said, the youngest who had hazelnut hair that reached to half of her back and bright blue eyes, “you've finally brought a lady friend for us to meet?” 

The teasing in her voice was obvious, and Roy cursed himself when he felt his ears go red. What was he, a school boy?

“Nah” he said nonchalantly “she’s just a… fellow captain with whom I crossed paths with a while ago”

“Captain Hawkeye, it’s been a while. Hello, Roy-Boy”

They all turned around, looking at Madam Christmas as she approached the table.

“Hello again, Madam Christmas” Riza said pleasantly. 

Roy looked back and forward 

“You've met before?”

“We’ve done business” the woman said airily, “you kids want a refill?”

“No thanks” Riza said, looking between Roy and Christmas in amusement 

“I didn’t know you were related. If I had, I would’ve never attacked your ship” 

The girls looked at Roy in surprise.

“I’ll tell you later” he promised.

“None of them are really mine” the Madam said, ruffling Roy’s hair lightly, much to his annoyance, “took them in when they were kids” 

There was a moment of silence before Christmas clapped Lucy’s shoulder.

“Girls, let’s leave these two to talk”

They all walked away, waving at Roy and giggling amongst themselves. 

“Nice family” Riza said, resting her chin against her hand. Roy couldn’t hold back the fond smile 

“Yeah, they’re pretty great. You’ve got any family?” 

Riza shook her head “my mom died at childbirth, my father got sick when I was 16” 

“I’m sorry” 

Riza shrugged, choosing not answer.

There was a silence, in which Roy drank from his beer.

“You have something to tell me, Mustang” Hawkeye said, looking thoughtful 

“What?”

“How  _ did  _ your crew scape?”

Roy chuckled 

“It’s been eating you inside, hasn’t it?”

Riza shrugged, smirking “maybe a little” 

Roy leaned back and crossed his arms 

“Well, Miss Hawkeye, it’s actually very simple. You said that you liked my ship, and I can agree, it’s a great vessel, and when my superiors gave it to me, I made a few arrangements.

The first one you saw, the hidden drawer in my desk, which contained my gun, and a notebook, containing every trick that ship has to offer. I have a copy of that notebook that I slipped into Hughes’ coat during the battle, just in case we got separated, which we did.

My second hiding hole is in the cells. I’m not a stupid man, I know the ocean of Amestris is infested with pirates, and I guessed some day I would get attacked, and possibly overpowered. So, I hid a ring of keys of the doors to the cells, just in case, in a loose floorboard. Hughes knew of this because he found the notebook in his coat, which your crew didn’t find because they saw photos of his daughter and probably thought the notebook was a dairy or something. This was risky, but I knew that they were looking for weapons, not personal objects.

The third hiding hole was also in the cells, a hidden compartment in the wall that held ten swords, 5 guns and a few daggers, you know, just in case”

Hawkeye looked impressed, but unsatisfied.

“That’s all very well and good, but what was the actual plan?”

“Ah, and that was the beauty of it, Miss Hawkeye” He said placidly “I didn’t have a plan. I just put faith in my crew, and they did not disappoint. 

Havoc managed to get a body count, Hughes had the instructions, and I told two of my most loyal men to talk to Hughes. From what I gather, they waited until your pirates left for a few minutes, then took out the hidden weapons, and simply fought because they were convinced our lives depended on it”

Riza looked at him, for once in her life speechless.

“The secret to success, Miss Hawkeye, is trusting the men below you to watch your back”

Riza smiled and shook her head 

“You are one peculiar man”

“I’ll take that as a compliment”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, just, enjoying the peace 

“I do have one question for you, Miss Hawkeye” Roy confessed 

“Shoot” She said, taking a sip of her whiskey. He hesitated 

“I don’t mean to offend-”

“That’s a horrible way to start a question” 

He huffed out a laugh and continued,

“Why a pirate? Why steal, and murder, when you can have a quiet life? Surely your father wouldn’t have wanted this from you”

And to his surprise, she snorted 

“You clearly never met my father, Mr. Mustang” she said, her lips upturned into a smile, “when he was in his deathbed, he told me something I would never forget”

“And what was it?”

“Don’t get married” 

This time, Roy did laugh “You’re not serious”

“I swear on his grave he told me ‘Riza, don’t get married to someone you don’t love, don’t get married at all if you can help it. Live freely by your own rules, don’t take crap from anybody and take care of the ones you love’”

“I would’ve liked to meet your father” 

Now it was Riza’s turn to smile fondly.

“He was a brilliant man, and those words changed me. So, after the funeral, I sold everything I had, bought a ship and hired my crew”

He shook his head, still grinning. Something was missing from that story, but since  _ he  _ hadn’t actually told her the real reason he was in the military, he supposed he could let it slide.

“I can’t believe you”

“I will take that as a compliment” 

The continued to grin at each other. They locked gazes for a moment too long, and something changed in Riza’s expression. She looked away, but Roy continued watching her, his eyes soft. 

Riza’s cheeks turned pink under his stare and looked up 

“I should get going, the girls are going to be worried if I’m gone too long”

She stood up, and Roy with her, ignoring the disappointment settling heavily in his gut.

“Yes of course” 

“It’s was a pleasure to meet you again, Mr. Mustang”

“It’s Roy” he blurted out. She seemed surprised at this

“What?”

“Mustang is for military personnel and strangers, and you are neither”

She lifted an eyebrow, her eyes amused and teasing 

“Oh? What am I then?”

He returned her grin.

“I will give you the answer to that question when we meet again”

She smiled, and Roy’s heart did a few backflips.

They shook hands, and if their hands lingered a moment too long, who was there to judge?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I can’t let you go, you know that” his voice softened, “But if you go now, if you escape, I can convince the captain not to follow you” 
> 
> She said nothing. He stepped closer until they were face to face, her back to the table. Her skin was tanned, her lips were pink and soft-looking. There was a moment of silence between them, and Roy heard nothing except his own heart, which was beating so strongly he wondered if Riza could hear it.
> 
> “Please?” Slowly, without planning it, he reached over, ever so slowly, and lifted her mask gently. She didn’t move.

**23th August 1803**

The third time they met it was in a battle, and they weren’t on the same side. 

Roy’s ship had come across another army vessel, which wasn’t moving. A ship with black sails was settled next to it, and even from the distance, Roy could hear the shouts and the clash of swords that indicated a battle was occurring. 

Pirates.

Roy’s crew responded to his orders, angling the ship to sail towards the two vessels. 

His crew entered the battle with a battle cry, and the tired soldiers fighting the raging pirates cheered, increasing their attempts to drive off the pirates. 

But Roy’s heart sank when he saw exactly who they were fighting.

He recognized every single one of them.

It was Hawkeye’s crew, which meant…

There she was. 

She had a black mask that covered the upper half of her face, but once again her eyes betrayed her. 

He would never forget the fire burning in those eyes. 

She looked better than last time. Her face was fuller, she stood taller and her figure once again imposed respect. Her hair had grown, looking less like a boyish cut and more like the healthy mane of a lion. It still didn’t reach her shoulders, understandable since it had only been three months, but the humidity of the sea had made it curly, so it curled behind her ears and around the nape of her neck. 

Her eyes shone with happiness once more, and Roy finally understood that she belonged in the sea, in her ship with her crew. 

Only there, she was truly happy. Something about that revelation made his stomach sink. Giving his head a quick shake to clear his thoughts, he scanned the ship.

He noticed none of his crew had tried to challenge her, which kind of made him want to smile. 

He kept her eyes on her as she looked around, surprised by the increase of soldiers. Her eyes widened, she had recognized a few of the soldiers. She looked around, searching, and their eyes met. 

Her eyes widened behind her mask, and her lips formed a word Roy could not hear.

She threw off the two soldiers she was fighting, throwing one overboard and stabbing the other one in the leg. 

She ran to the other side of the ship, dodging soldiers and quickly disarming the ones that attacked her. With one last glance to make sure he was watching her, she opened the door to the captain’s study and slipped in. 

Roy followed her without hesitation. 

He slipped in silently, and once he closed the door the sounds of battle were muffled.

She was leaning casually against the table, her arms crossed and eyes bright with amusement. 

“It had to be you, didn’t it?” She said, trying to sound annoyed, but her smile gave her away.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re happy to see me” he said, walking up to the desk and leaning against it, next to her. Had he always been that much taller than her?

“The mask suits you” he said truthfully. Her hand rose and touched the edges of the mask.

“Yeah well, I needed to wear something after  _ somebody _ decided to risk their career and lie about my identity”

He brought a hand to his chest in mock shock

“Were you worried about me, Miss Hawkeye?”

“I don’t want your blood in my hands, Roy” she surprised him, using his first name, but then again, he  _ had  _ told her to call him by it.

His eyes softened 

“I’ll be fine, you’ve got nothing to worry about”

She huffed and lowered her arms slightly, more like she was hugging herself than outright crossing her arms. A pink tint highlighted her cheeks 

“I’m not worried, but you know I think you’re a good man, I don’t want you risking everything for my sake” 

Roy stayed silent 

“It was stupid of you to lie” her words were bitter, but he scoffed and shook his head.

“You see, you keep saying that but if it weren’t for me you would’ve been hanged, and yet, I haven’t heard one single word of gratitude”

“You’re joking” her deadpan tone made him smirk, but he didn’t say anything else. She rolled her eyes.

“Alright, I am going to ignore that part of the conversation all together. How do you want to handle this?”

Roy frowned. For one stupid moment, he had forgotten there was a battle going on outside.

“I know the captain of this ship. He’s a good man, I wouldn’t appreciate it if you killed him”

“I hadn’t made up my mind yet” 

“Good. What was your initial plan?”

“I already have a couple of girls below deck, pocketing anything valuable. We need ammunition, and some money wouldn’t do us any harm” 

Roy nodded 

“Well, I’d appreciate it if you retreated” she smiled at him, but it was bitter.

“No can do, Mustang. I need these supplies”

“I can’t let you go, you know that” his voice softened, “But if you go now, if you escape, I can convince the captain not to follow you” 

She said nothing. He stepped closer until they were face to face, her back to the table. Her skin was tanned, her lips were pink and soft-looking. There was a moment of silence between them, and Roy heard nothing except his own heart, which was beating so strongly he wondered if Riza could hear it.

“Please?” Slowly, without planning it, he reached over, ever so slowly, and lifted her mask gently. She didn’t move. 

For months, the memory of her had been both a painful burn and a healing salve. He had thought he remembered her perfectly, but now that they were so close, he could truly appreciate details he had forgotten, like the almost invisible freckles across her nose, or the worry lines that never truly disappeared from her forehead. He wanted to smooth those lines away with his fingers, but he was already overstepping the silent boundaries that separated them, so he stayed still, barely daring to breathe.

She hadn’t moved, her eyes stayed locked on his. People said that brown eyes were boring, unoriginal, even ugly. Roy begged to differ. Her eyes were the color of the earth after a storm; hard, unyielding, but soft at the same time, letting him dig a little deeper every time they met. Roy wondered, if he reached out to take her pulse, would he would find it beating as fast as his? He was tempted to find out, but before he could find the nerve to reach out and grab her hand, the inexplicable happened.

“Okay” she whispered, almost timidly, as she was afraid of breaking the spell that separated them from the rest of the world. 

“Thank you” 

She smirked, but there was no edge in it. For a moment, her gaze was almost fond as she studied him, and then something in her eyes shifted, and her smile spoke of danger. 

“After all, I wouldn’t want to be in debt with a military dog” 

Something in her tone, in her way of saying it, made his gut twist. There was a flush creeping up his neck. She leaned forwards ever so slightly, and Roy stood frozen, unable to move as he felt his pulse grow impossibly faster. He could feel her breath on his lips, that’s how close they were now. His eyes closed without his permission.

After a few seconds of tense silence, she just smiled and took a step back, placing her mask back on.

She turned away and walked towards the door, seemingly without remorse. 

She was the devil, he decided, the devil dressed as an angel.

He drew his sword.

She stopped dead in her tracks and looked back, her eyebrow raised.

“What are you doing?” She didn’t sound suspicious or wary, and something about the trust she was presenting to him made something warm spread on his chest.

“We can’t just get out of here as if we were having a chat”

She smirked “that’s exactly what we were doing”

“But they can’t know that” 

With a roll of her eyes, she drew her sword, and blades clashing, they burst into the deck, where the battle was still raging. 

She was fast and strong, her every movement graceful like a panther’s, and she and Roy were evenly matched against each other. 

He gave it his all, partly to keep up the act, partly because she was  _ that  _ good (and maybe he was a little frustrated, sue him). He tried not to show it, but she saw right through him. Their swords clashed together once more, and she leaned forward

“Did I  _ frustrate  _ you that much?” She was teasing, but it still damaged his already wounded pride. 

“The only thing you frustrated is my morning plans” he said, keeping his voice airy. 

She let out a small chuckle

“Stop talking, we have an audience”

She was right. 

The battle had ceased, most of the soldiers were injured in some way and lay on the floor. 

Both pirates and soldiers still standing watched them fight, seemingly transfixed. 

“Retreat!” Hawkeye roared to her crew. They sprung into action, and for a split second, Roy managed to look around and assess the damage. 

His men only had superficial cuts or bruises, and they barely struggled as the girls ran to their ship. He even saw Rebecca playfully tip her hat at Havoc, who looked dazed as his eyes followed the woman until she jumped over the side to her own ship.

He also saw Winry running, but before she left, she glanced back, and found Ed and Al smiling at her. With her own small smile, she jumped to her ship. 

He was distracted a split second too long. 

Hawkeye took advantage of his distraction and slipped behind him, his body pressed flush against hers and made him stand still by pressing her sword against his neck. He dropped his sword.

A few soldiers moved forwards but she pressed the steel closer. The metal felt cold against his exposed neck.

The soldiers hesitated, watching as she walked backwards, dragging him along.

Roy’s panicked look wasn’t because he was worried. 

His limbs were covered with goosebumps as Hawkeye breathed right next to his ear. He shivered involuntarily as her short hair brushed against the nape of his neck. She smelled like the sea, irresistible to him. 

They reached the railing and she pushed him away from her

“A little overkill, don’t you think?” He muttered, ignoring the way his ears burned. She just smiled smugly and winked, amusement making her eyes dance. 

Without another word, she jumped to her own ship, and it began to sail away immediately.

“We should follow them” 

The captain appeared at his side, and with a bitter taste in his mouth he realized that he hadn’t appeared until now.

“You’re men are injured, Captain Grover” he said, his tone flat and leaving no room to argue, “if you went after them you would stand no chance” 

Grover looked sour, but nodded all the same. 

  
  


…

  
  


That night, Roy lay awake for a long time, telling himself that the cold empty feeling in his chest wasn’t real. He’d get over it soon enough, he was an adult man, and adult men had no time to waste over silly crushes.

_ But do they have time for love? _ A small voice asked him. 

He closed his eyes and tried to think about anything that didn’t involve a woman with blonde hair and eyes that seemed to be able to stare into his soul. 

….

At the same moment, Captain Hawkeye went to hang her coat when she felt something inside the pocket. Frowning, she pulled out a folded piece of paper. 

Inside, an address was written, and bellow that:

_ Friends keep in touch  _

She smiled, he  _ had _ promised to answer her question in the next encounter. And Mustang was nothing if not a man of his word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not sure if I love this chapter honestly... it’s shorter than the rest but anyways, I hope you guys like it.


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